What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative description of off airport landing event occurred on April, 5th 2017:
I was in a cross country flight from chandler, AZ to henderson, Nevada in the morning on April, 5th 2017. It was approximately half hour of ETA to the destination when the engine started sputtering and the tachometer reduced to about 500 RPM. At that time, I just descended from my cruising altitude 8500 feet to 7500 feet in anticipation of approaching the destination soon. The local time was probably around 11:30 am and the approximate location was about 2 to 3 miles to the north-west corner of lake mohave. I immediately stopped the auto-pilot and turned around to avoid the mountain areas in front of me. And I started the engine failure emergency procedure right away. I went through the steps listed on the check list ? Turn on the fuel pump, turn on carburetor heat, enrich the mixture, switch the magnetos, and switch the fuel tanks. The engine situation didn?t improve much after these steps. It kept around 500 RPM if not lower than that. I might have done 1 or 2 more rounds (sorry, couldn?t remember exactly how many times) of the steps just described above, but to no vail.
I then called the la fight service center to declare emergency. Because of flight following, I had been with la center all the time after I was turned over to them by the albuquerque center. A lady from the la center suggested me a close-by airport, which I can?t recall the name now. But I do remember the distance she mentioned to that airport was more than 10 miles from where I was. My altimeter showed me at about 5000 feet. I looked around and saw I was pretty much surrounded by mountains. I just told her that I couldn?t make it. I saw there?s a pier to the south of my location and there were some docked boats. I turned to head to that direction in the hope that there might be a decent road that I could land on. The lady from the la center offered me another airport ? Search light. But it?s still about 12 miles away. I said no to that too. Soon after, I lost direct contact with la center. But there?s another pilot (I guess he?s a commercial pilot) just above that area. He relayed my situation back to la center. I eventually did see a road that leads to the pier. I radioed that I?d land on that road. I then adjusted the airplane to lose some altitude and made sure I landed in the upslope direction of the road. There?s no person or vehicle on the road at the time when I landed. Once landed, I radioed that I landed and the pilot above asked if I was ok. I replied to him that I and the airplane are both fine. I heard him relaying that to the la center.
Lessons learned from the incident:
I should have switched the fuel tanks much earlier. For a long cross country flight like this, fuel tanks should be switch every half hour to 1 hour.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF OFF AIRPORT LANDING EVENT OCCURRED ON APRIL, 5TH 2017:
I WAS IN A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM CHANDLER, AZ TO HENDERSON, NEVADA IN THE MORNING ON APRIL, 5TH 2017. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY HALF HOUR OF ETA TO THE DESTINATION WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING AND THE TACHOMETER REDUCED TO ABOUT 500 RPM. AT THAT TIME, I JUST DESCENDED FROM MY CRUISING ALTITUDE 8500 FEET TO 7500 FEET IN ANTICIPATION OF APPROACHING THE DESTINATION SOON. THE LOCAL TIME WAS PROBABLY AROUND 11:30 AM AND THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION WAS ABOUT 2 TO 3 MILES TO THE NORTH-WEST CORNER OF LAKE MOHAVE. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE AUTO-PILOT AND TURNED AROUND TO AVOID THE MOUNTAIN AREAS IN FRONT OF ME. AND I STARTED THE ENGINE FAILURE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE RIGHT AWAY. I WENT THROUGH THE STEPS LISTED ON THE CHECK LIST ? TURN ON THE FUEL PUMP, TURN ON CARBURETOR HEAT, ENRICH THE MIXTURE, SWITCH THE MAGNETOS, AND SWITCH THE FUEL TANKS. THE ENGINE SITUATION DIDN?T IMPROVE MUCH AFTER THESE STEPS. IT KEPT AROUND 500 RPM IF NOT LOWER THAN THAT. I MIGHT HAVE DONE 1 OR 2 MORE ROUNDS (SORRY, COULDN?T REMEMBER EXACTLY HOW MANY TIMES) OF THE STEPS JUST DESCRIBED ABOVE, BUT TO NO VAIL.
I THEN CALLED THE LA FIGHT SERVICE CENTER TO DECLARE EMERGENCY. BECAUSE OF FLIGHT FOLLOWING, I HAD BEEN WITH LA CENTER ALL THE TIME AFTER I WAS TURNED OVER TO THEM BY THE ALBUQUERQUE CENTER. A LADY FROM THE LA CENTER SUGGESTED ME A CLOSE-BY AIRPORT, WHICH I CAN?T RECALL THE NAME NOW. BUT I DO REMEMBER THE DISTANCE SHE MENTIONED TO THAT AIRPORT WAS MORE THAN 10 MILES FROM WHERE I WAS. MY ALTIMETER SHOWED ME AT ABOUT 5000 FEET. I LOOKED AROUND AND SAW I WAS PRETTY MUCH SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAINS. I JUST TOLD HER THAT I COULDN?T MAKE IT. I SAW THERE?S A PIER TO THE SOUTH OF MY LOCATION AND THERE WERE SOME DOCKED BOATS. I TURNED TO HEAD TO THAT DIRECTION IN THE HOPE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A DECENT ROAD THAT I COULD LAND ON. THE LADY FROM THE LA CENTER OFFERED ME ANOTHER AIRPORT ? SEARCH LIGHT. BUT IT?S STILL ABOUT 12 MILES AWAY. I SAID NO TO THAT TOO. SOON AFTER, I LOST DIRECT CONTACT WITH LA CENTER. BUT THERE?S ANOTHER PILOT (I GUESS HE?S A COMMERCIAL PILOT) JUST ABOVE THAT AREA. HE RELAYED MY SITUATION BACK TO LA CENTER. I EVENTUALLY DID SEE A ROAD THAT LEADS TO THE PIER. I RADIOED THAT I?D LAND ON THAT ROAD. I THEN ADJUSTED THE AIRPLANE TO LOSE SOME ALTITUDE AND MADE SURE I LANDED IN THE UPSLOPE DIRECTION OF THE ROAD. THERE?S NO PERSON OR VEHICLE ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME WHEN I LANDED. ONCE LANDED, I RADIOED THAT I LANDED AND THE PILOT ABOVE ASKED IF I WAS OK. I REPLIED TO HIM THAT I AND THE AIRPLANE ARE BOTH FINE. I HEARD HIM RELAYING THAT TO THE LA CENTER.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE INCIDENT:
I SHOULD HAVE SWITCHED THE FUEL TANKS MUCH EARLIER. FOR A LONG CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT LIKE THIS, FUEL TANKS SHOULD BE SWITCH EVERY HALF HOUR TO 1 HOUR.
Other reports on N4147T · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.